みたいだ・
ようだ as people say it in conversation. You say how things appear without saying that they are so: "it seems" from signs, "like" as a comparison.
it seems
The road is wet. It looks like it rained a little while ago.
like
This bread is rather like cake, isn't it?
such as
I like lively cities such as Osaka.
How to form it
降るみたいだ ／ 降ったみたいだ ／ 高いみたいだ ／ 雨みたいだ ／ 元気みたいだ
The plain form. A noun or a な-adjective goes straight on, with no の, な or だ. Past and negative go in whole: 雨だったみたいだ, 雨じゃないみたいだ.
Its own forms
みたい・みたいだ・みたいです ／ みたいな + noun ／ みたいに + verb or adjective
It changes like a な-adjective. In casual talk the last だ usually drops: 降ったみたい.
It seems: figuring it out from signs
You notice something and say what it points to. The sign can be anything you see, hear or feel, your own body included.
The light in my sister's room is off. Looks like she has already gone to bed.
The shop is dark inside, and the door will not open. It seems to be closed today.
My throat hurts. I seem to have caught a cold.
Looks like Tanaka isn't here yet.
Yeah, seems so.
そうみたい is the short answer when you think so but don't know for sure.
A softer way to say it
Excuse me, I seem to be lost.
You know you are lost. みたいです makes it less blunt.
How do you know?
Japanese picks the ending by how you know: from the look of it, from signs, or from what you were told.
The sky is dark. No rain yet.
The look of it: stem + そうだ.
It looks like it's going to rain.
The road is wet. You figure it out.
Signs: plain form + ようだ, or みたいだ in conversation.
It seems it rained.
The forecast said so. You pass it on.
Told: plain form + そうだ.
I hear it's going to rain.
You heard it somewhere. You aren't vouching for it.
Told, and kept at a distance: plain form + らしい.
Apparently it's going to rain.
おいしそう or おいしいみたい?
This place looks good.
You are looking at the dishes in the window.
This place seems to be good.
There is always a line outside. You figure it out.
English can say "looks good" for both.
Like: comparing
Here you know it isn't really so: bread is not cake.
You have eyes like a cat's.
Kenta swims like a fish.
She talks as if she knows everything.
I want to be like my mother too.
The ones you will hear
夢みたいlike a dream
Being able to come to Japan is like a dream.
うそみたいunbelievable
It sounds unbelievable, but it's true.
ばかみたいsilly
Worrying all by myself. I feel so silly.
Such as
Before a noun, みたいな can also name a real example.
I want to take a leisurely walk around a historic city such as Kyoto.
No の
Not said: あの
(That cloud looks like a fish.)
魚みたいだ. The の belongs to ようだ: 魚のようだ.
Close neighbours
The same two meanings. みたいだ is for conversation and messages; ようだ is for polite talk, the news and writing. みたいです is polite but still talk, so an essay or a business email has ようです. The join differs: 雨のようだ, 静かなようだ.
It seems Tanaka has already gone home.
そうだN4
On a stem, "looks": from the look of the thing itself. That one can't go straight after a noun or after a past form; みたいだ can.
The sky is dark, and it looks like it is going to snow.
らしいN4
"Apparently", and after a noun a second meaning. らしい is usually said of the real thing; のよう and みたい of what only resembles it. 春らしい日 is a spring day that feels like one; 春みたいな日 is a winter day that feels like spring.
It has turned into a warm day, a real spring day.
まるで in front makes it "just like".
It's a story just like something out of a film.
Check yourself
1"Those two seem to be brothers."
Choose an answer to see why.
2Which one fits?
私も
Choose an answer to see why.
3Which one fits?
ケーキが
Choose an answer to see why.
More sentences
A large crowd has gathered in front of the station. It looks like there is some kind of event.
The key is not on the desk. Looks like my brother has already gone out.
Everyone is smiling in the photos. It seems that the trip was fun.
Tanaka sounded cheerful, and seems to be doing well today.
This sofa is like a cloud.
This ice is as clear as glass.
When I watch this video, it feels as if I am really flying through the sky.